Mitchell sent a link to Holmes’ comments (hopefully the PFT version) to the team’s full complement of defensive backs.

“The whole team should take it personal,” Mitchell said, via Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer. “I like that coach tries to do things like that. Always making it team, team, team. I think that’s very good how he does that for us.”

Coach Ron Rivera seized the opportunity to spread Santonio’s slight across the full defensive roster.

“Coach Rivera said something to the defense about it and like Coach Rivera says, it’s a team game,” cornerback Captain Munnerlyn said. “If he feels that way, everybody on the field on Sunday, we’re out there together and we’re going to play for each other.”

Officially, Rivera was less inflammatory.

“People are going to say what they want to say. That’s fine,” Rivera said. “But that’s why you play them on Sunday to find out. Something I learned in all my years of playing, it’s all about showing up on Sunday and we’ll see how it goes. That’s why you play.”

The Panthers don’t really need extra motivation as they try to nail down an unlikely playoff spot and chase an even more unlikely division title and first-round bye. But any motivation helps.

Most people under 40 don’t know what a bulletin board is? It’s awfully early to start drinking there Mr. Florio. Try under 30, or 25, the generation that grew up solely on the internet is that age, not everyone under 30

allday420ap says:Dec 14, 2013 11:31 AM

Thats on my kwanza wishlist, 6ball

bcfalcon says:Dec 14, 2013 11:37 AM

Because Geno Smith is going to light them up….riiiiiiiiight. Even most of you jets fans know how inaccurate and int prone he is!

After seeing that mess in New Orleans last week, I’m no longer confident that the Panthers will get very far in post-season play. In fact, if they play as flat this weekend as they did last Sunday night, they may end up kissing their play-off hopes goodbye.

Let’s hope the New Orleans game was a wake-up call for a team that had gotten overly confident after a solid winning streak.

If Mitchell is their starting safety, then Holmes is probably right. Mitchell’s at least average against the run and can hit hard, but he couldn’t cover a snail.

cmsaint9 says:Dec 14, 2013 12:49 PM

It was a good run Carolina. Time to step aside and let the big dogs take over. And by big dogs I mean Saints.

jrtrio says:Dec 14, 2013 1:07 PM

Mitchell can sure talk. Too bad he can’t play. If he could he would still be in silver and black.
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Just because a player is not on one team or another doesn’t mean he can’t play. If he couldn’t play he wouldn’t be in ANY uniform. And gee, last week he had 6 solo tackles and one assist. I’d say he can play. And as for stepping aside…the Panthers will be happy to step aside. It’s easier to see the saint’s pass them by…..on their way down. Adjustments will be made and the defensive front will look a little different when they face the saints again.

Every player has an off game and Sunday night Mitchell had his and was beat off the line a few times but Holmes making that comment about the best defense in the NFL clearly shows his ignorance!! It only gives the Panthers even more fuel to smash him and the Jets, in the words of the great Steve Smith, “Ice Up Son!!”

Gotta love the Aints fanboys acting like the game was such a blowout. I will admit we got pounced on in the second quarter…offense and defense. Besides that lapse in defense we looked pretty good. (Us Panthers fans are used to the lapses in offense)

onegiantloss says:Dec 14, 2013 5:09 PM

I’m almost positive that Mayock said basically the same thing when he called the Thursday night game featuring the Panthers and Saints. Something along the lines of “the db’s are the weakest part of this dominant Panthers defense” but nobody seemed to bat an eye at that…

I love how the Saints fans think it was such a blowout on Sunday night. I’ll give em that during the second quarter they went off on us. Besides that it was a very even game….Panthers actually were a lil better than the Saints.